[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-107":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},336744,598,"Chapter 107 107: The Mysterious Library","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-107",107,"\u003Cp>- Frey Starlight's Pov -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome to Lady Semiramis Library.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence lingered for a few moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still taking in my surroundings—the towering bookshelves, the spiral-like structure of the place—and then my gaze returned to the girl seated in the wheelchair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Semiramis Library… Was this the Institution's library?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another brief moment of contemplation, my attention shifted back to the girl who had just greeted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah… Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um… forgive my question, but who are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated slightly at her question. She didn't seem to recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't misunderstand,\" she continued. \"I identify people by their auras… but I've never sensed yours before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could have lied to her. But I chose not to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My name is Frey Starlight. I'm here with the temple's delegation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment my name left my lips, her expression shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to the little girl nestled in her lap, a soft smile gracing her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gently stroking the child's head, she asked in a calm voice, \"Azura… were you the one who brought him here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl—Azura—opened her violet eyes, glancing at me before looking back at the girl in the wheelchair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reem nodded the moment she heard the response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then everything is fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned back to me, her smile gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My name is Rem, and I am the librarian here. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was still welcoming me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had expected something different after she heard my name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Rem, forgive my question… but do you not know who I am?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you well, Lord Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet you're still allowing me to stay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as Azura was the one who brought you here, there is no issue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved carefully, my gaze still fixed on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't want to make any reckless moves. Even entertaining the thought felt dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all… the girl before me was far from ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Hawk Eyes.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I activated my enhanced vision, I saw it—an overwhelming aura surging from Reem, so vast that it seemed to press against the very ceiling of the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pressure… was stronger than Carmen's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem smiled knowingly, fully aware of my reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, Lord Frey. You are my guest now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Apologies… this is just a bit much to process.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I considered turning around and leaving through the same door I had entered. But I chose to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps you're looking for something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem's question lingered in the air, and I answered vaguely, \"Something like that…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The books here hold knowledge accumulated over the last 400 years. Perhaps you will find what you seek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last 400 years of knowledge…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there truly such a library in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I searched my memory, recalling the world of my novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn't delved too deeply into the Moonlight Family in the original setting… but I was sure I had never mentioned a library like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way I could have forgotten something this significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if I wasn't the writer—just someone who knew fragments of what was to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything about this was shrouded in mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, a thought struck me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last 400 years of knowledge… in that case…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to Rem at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are there any books here about curses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if anticipating my question, Rem nodded immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are plenty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gently setting Azura aside, she gestured toward the upper floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azura, would you guide him to the Ancient History section?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl nodded before running toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching me, she stopped and held out her tiny right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively took it. Her hand was so small that I loosened my grip as much as possible to avoid hurting her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem may have been blind, but she saw far more than I did. That much was evident from the faint smile on her face as soon as Azura reached for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She seems comfortable around you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose so…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't understand why this little girl had been so affectionate toward me from the start… but I didn't mind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind resisted her, yet in the end, I always relented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azura led the way to the first upper floor, her small hand holding mine as I followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem simply watched us from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure about this, Iceflower? Allowing a stranger to roam freely here…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep, raspy voice echoed in the air—one only Rem could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, I couldn't see the things that stood behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two eerie phantoms with ethereal forms loomed behind the blind girl—each more terrifying than the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine. I've never seen Azura act this way with anyone but me. At the very least, he is not a bad person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many outsiders had set foot in this place over the past hundred years?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how many had she cast out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened today was unprecedented… yet Rem accepted it without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment, no one could have foreseen what lay beneath her calm demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azura led me to a secluded section filled with countless books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Volumes detailing the empire's history during wartime—particularly the brutal torture methods used on prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple chair stood in the middle of the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting Azura, I gently placed her on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit here quietly while I look around.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azura nodded without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was eerily quiet… but I liked that about her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I began scanning the bookshelves, my fingers trailing along the spines of the volumes, until I randomly pulled one out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I read a few lines, my expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The book described, in unnerving detail, how the Moonlight Family had tortured their prisoners during war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The methods were laid out so explicitly that a wave of disgust rolled over me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I read, the more hollow I felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, my eyes landed on a particular section.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Torture through Curses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At times, executioners and high-ranking individuals resorted to cursing their victims, as physical torment alone did not always yield the desired results…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A curse imposes powerful restrictions on its recipient, binding them to a strict set of laws and conditions dictated by the caster. Below are examples of how curses can be used…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had read about many different curses—some could manipulate minds, while others could turn people into slaves. But the explanations were lacking. They didn't give me the answers I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, I felt a tug on my shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn't even noticed when she had jumped down from her chair or how she had appeared beside me so quietly. In her hands, she held a book with a black cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pushed it toward me, signaling that she wanted me to read it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn't dare brush off this strange girl's actions, so I quickly accepted the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I gently patted her head, she looked pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really was… adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Azura behind, I opened the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Four Great Curses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An interesting title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the previous book, this one delved much deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people mistakenly associate curses solely with magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic has many branches, and while curses do intersect with sorcery, they are not the same. In fact, the strongest curses do not originate from magic at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest proof of this lies in the Four Great Curses—each belonging to a prestigious noble family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Blade and Hourglass – exclusive to the Valerion Imperial Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Iliad – wielded by the Starlight Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Black Flame – belonging to the Sunlight Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Frozen Heart – tied to the Moonlight Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That last one…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I saw the title, a strange sensation washed over me—like a dagger slowly carving into my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn't entirely sure… but deep down, I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was what had been afflicting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, I began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Frozen Heart\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying curse that turns its recipient into a slave to the caster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It cannot be removed and remains active at all times. The curse automatically activates whenever the victim is near the caster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It binds the victim's heart to the caster's aura, granting the latter the power to end the victim's life at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disobeying the caster's commands results in excruciating pain—agony beyond human endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse is unstable. If excessively triggered, the victim will die even without a direct order. The longest recorded survival period for a victim under continuous exposure was 30 days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the victim remains within the caster's range, they will die within this time frame—or sooner, depending on their endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if they distance themselves from the caster, the effects will pause—though the issued commands will never be undone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I read, the colder my body felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These conditions meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was completely powerless against whoever had cursed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a disaster in every sense of the word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conditions for Casting:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caster must possess an aura stronger than the victim's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the victim has a stronger aura, they must willingly accept the curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caster cannot curse more than one person at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Methods of Breaking the Curse:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caster willingly lifts it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caster dies—though their commands remain in effect even after death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Curse of the Frozen Heart is an advanced curse, passed down only among the highest-ranking individuals, and is extremely difficult to learn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>… What now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally understood why the system had given me a 30-day deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I did nothing, I would die in 30 days just by staying near the caster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse had been placed on the original Frey long ago, meaning the truth behind it lay within his memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had no way of accessing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I had were scattered, meaningless fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't even know what commands had been imposed on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even if I killed the caster, it wouldn't necessarily end the curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I had a hunch…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was somehow tied to the Moonlight Family's secret—the one I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the book stated, the caster was someone of high rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone I had met on the train was irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse had only activated once we neared Moonlight Manor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, the one who cursed me was far stronger than I was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to find them before the deadline ran out… and somehow convince them to lift the curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a dry laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't that impossible?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a thought struck me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Moonlight Family wanted me dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why hadn't the caster killed me yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should have been effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why was I still alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dull headache pounded in my skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of this made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was completely lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, all of a sudden, I felt Azura tug at me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her timing was strange… yet perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you worried about me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her violet eyes lingered on me for a moment before she extended both arms, silently asking to be carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tiny creature…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the only warmth in this cold, desolate place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spent the next few hours trying to learn more about curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it got late, I finally left the library, leaving behind both Azura and Reem, who waved at me with a gentle smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of my day passed in a haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind was consumed—either trying to process what I had read or figure out who had cursed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't even focus on training. Everything felt distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every so often, a strange coldness would seep into my chest, as if the curse itself was reminding me of my time limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperate, I attempted to remove the curse using the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost was… astronomical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the difficulty of breaking a curse of this level, gathering the required Achievement Points in time was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was on my own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no other options, I decided to return to that mysterious library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the countless questions surrounding it, that place made me feel at peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I retraced my steps exactly as I had the night before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a sharp memory—I was certain I had found the right path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when I arrived…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The library had possessed a massive gate and a smaller entrance beside it—so large and distinct that it was impossible to miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where the entrance had once stood…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing but a wall of ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The library… had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>",2124,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","6f1d951e95bade2f07bf92de78d07ce0f06f8074b922356aa4715d35b4b8758b","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-108","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-106",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]